Discover the right mindset you need to cultivate gratitude daily

Everyone has a capacity for gratitude. But to access it consistently, we need to have the right mindset.

Affirm and Recognize

To have gratitude, we need to learn to do two things - affirm the good and recognize the giver. These two actions combine to produce appreciation. In affirming the good, we acknowledge that good things happen to us regardless of our circumstances. We may feel stuck at work, but there is good in being employed in the first place. We may have a conflict with a loved one, but another friend is there to encourage us. In recognizing the giver, we realize that someone or something outside of us has brought about the good. We do not earn our friend’s encouragement. We do not work for their gifts of love and friendship. We got them for free.

Look for Good

Sometimes, we can fall into the trap of looking at good events as merely the result of past events. Life passes by as we take the good things we receive for granted. In doing so, we unknowingly rob ourselves of the opportunity for joy. The good is everywhere, even in the toughest of times. We especially treasure our happiness after a period where sorrow or grief has taken over. Against the backdrop of suffering, looking for bright spots where there seems to be none helps us realize how precious good things are. Gratefulness, in both good times and bad times, is the gateway to joy. Let us strive to always look for the good. And let us realize that they are everywhere.